1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to timely, automated, custom, audio and or audio-visual messages presented in a combination of user-familiar sounds, voices, images, repeated as necessary as storage space allows. The method, with device, can present information for guiding, teaching, re-orienting, and or emotionally comforting the user, such that they are substantially more independent of assistance from others at designated times. Both healthy and impaired persons can utilize the device. Information can be presented in a variety of ways including an integral speaker, earphones and or LCD Video displays. It also relates to electronic facilitating devices that are non-invasive, and portable in nature and are designed to be worn by the user but require no intervention from them and are otherwise sealed and locked to persons not having a cabinet key. The device facilitates the easy creation and programming of the messages and play routines, when disassembled, and requires low maintenance of it's batteries as a result of the circuit design.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many persons require a constant and or intermittent supply of certain types of information or instructions, presented in an identifiable, emotionally constructive manner, on a routine basis. For example, persons suffering from a cognitive deficiency as a result of a head injury, or mental retardation, often forget to engage in daily hygiene activities without constant or intermittent instructions and therefore supervision of caregivers. Individual instructions must often be repeated for the user causing frustration for both the patient and caregiver. Repetition of a structure of daily routines, with timely modifications, may bolster the user's mastery of basic living skills.
Consumers who wish to record information, and be automatically presented with it later, must do this by typing information into a computer, or electronic planner and use an established lengthy software procedure. Therefore, lack of typing and computer skills can retard the user's progress.
Caregivers who work out of the home; or teaching professionals, who must supervise a large number of patients or students, often spend time supplying, and repeating, at precisely the right instant and pace, pieces of information.
Various attempts have been made to record and provide these sets of information at the correct times including the use of paper lists in conjunction with alarm clocks, notes in key locations, ect. Electronic beepers (U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,711) 1981, have been used to capture the attention of a user and provide a reference number, via an Liquid Crystal Display, relating to a list or pill tray for the designated time. Mother device, which the inventor believes may have been patented in Denmark, provides an electronic alarm until the user chooses one of several written cards, listing the appropriate activity for that time, and places it in a slot in the device.
Aside from the instructional methods and aids already discussed, all process's and facilitating devices heretofore known suffer from the same disadvantages:
(a) All systems require the user to execute a combinations of cognitive and physical skills, such as reading and placing cards in a slot, which are superfluous to the message's meaning and have to be done before the message can be effective. PA1 (b) All systems can only repeat one set of information messages each time it calls attention to itself. The message cannot change during the time that the user is paying attention to it. PA1 (c) All systems are not portable and wearable in their entirety. PA1 (d) All systems do not have customized, pre-designated limits as to how many times or how much time the user will be exposed to it, whereby they may be over-exposed and become agitated or under-exposed and fail to grasp the information. PA1 (e) All systems do not possess the capability to store and present "reality-recreation" audio and or audio-visual images. PA1 (f) All devices are limited to presenting one or two types of somewhat in-effective information such as an electronic beeper and written information. PA1 (g) All devices call attention to themselves, in the same continuous manner each time, which causes users to become less responsive to the actual information conveyed. PA1 (h) All devices require some degree of superfluous knowledge of a device or skill such as typing or writing in order to receive and or understand the information. PA1 (i) All systems do not allow the information to be given in increments, and at a rate, that is most beneficial to the particular user. PA1 (j) All systems do not have complete sets of information stored on a re-moveable, compact storage media. PA1 (a) In operation, my process and device are anthroprometrically-compatible, self-contained, single part solutions that the user can retain on their person for long periods of time. PA1 (b) Users are not required to perform device-oriented, superfluous tasks to receive the full message whereby the user can concentrate on understanding and or acting on the message. PA1 (c) Messages can be broken up into digestible increments and be presented at a pace that is acceptable to a particular user. PA1 (d) The amount of time and or number of times that a person is exposed to the device, or a message or it's parts, can be pre-designated. PA1 (e) Messages, each of a unique length and design, can contain any useful combination of harmonic tones, visual signals or icons, recorded voices, intermissions, and images within that information segment. PA1 (f) The user may be exposed to a message that varies in form or content each time that they listen to it. PA1 (g) These automatically played `routines` can be semi-permanently created in other locations with easily-accessible technology. Furthermore, they can be installed and run with little set-up time, PA1 (h) Infinite opportunity to quickly change the recorded information, therefore preventing the user from becoming desensitized to it. PA1 (i) The high maintenance batteries (4 AA) can be removed with the timer/alarm's retaining the time of day. The time keeping function, which remains on at all times, does not deplete the high maintenance batteries (4 AA).